A controversial proposal for a wind turbine overlooking the village of Bishton has been recommended for approval by planning officers after being stalled over questions about its power output.

Councillors will vote on Wednesday whether to grant planning permission for the turbine, measuring up to 66 metres in height, at Castle Farm on Bishton Road.

The application seeks planning permission for a single three bladed 900Kw wind turbine to be located on a hill to the east of Craig-y-Perthi Wood.

The proposed development also includes:

• A crane hardstanding measuring 35m by 15m.

• An access track and turning head leading from the turbine site to the lane between Bishton and Underwood.

• A switchgear cabinet with a footprint of approximately 5m by 3m and 3m high.

Powering 585 homes, the turbine would generate 2,332 MWh per year of electricity and would have a lifespan of 25 years.

Planning officers have claimed that it would avoid the production of an estimated 25,069 tonnes of CO2 over the development’s lifetime

An earlier plan for the turbine, measuring up to 77 metres, was refused planning permission by Newport city council’s planning committee last February.
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A second application by Martin Webber, of Castle Farm, Bishton, was considered by the committee last month but was deferred following confusion over the noise assessment carried out on the site and the exact power output of the proposed turbine.

Richard White, councillor for the Marshfield ward, pointed out at the council’s planning meeting last month that the noise assessment carried out on the site was based on a 500kW turbine, rather than a 900kW turbine.

Planning officers have now confirmed that the power output of the proposed turbine is 900Kw (0.9Mw) and that the turbine model used in the noise assessment is the EWT DW52, which corresponds with the model cited in the environmental statement.

Forty-eight individual objections have been received, mainly from Bishton, along with one from councillor Martyn Kellaway, who represents Llanwern ward on the city council.

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales, Newport and Valleys branch, LAO object to the turbine as it will “dominate the village of Bishton”, it does not represent “appropriate farm diversification” and the turbine could cause nuisance to residents due to noise.

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